by Swamp Donkey » Thu May 30, 2019 4:45 pm
Clubs that are unable to retain players will always struggle, with or without an APPS in place, so I'm not sure how the APFL Board is to blame. Doesn't matter if you have 10, 12, 16 or 21 player points every year, if you can't retain "points players" for multiple years you will struggle. Try having 6 or 7 points and see how you go - that's when it gets bloody tough.
Two Wells and HWE have done it better than anyone over recent years, and its no surprise that they are on top of the ladder at the moment. Yes, TW have always had plenty of juniors, but HWE certainly have not been blessed with big numbers of colts over recent years. Both clubs have used their points on players that appear to have come to their club with the intention of staying for a long period of time.
The biggest concern for many clubs is the lack of juniors, particularly at clubs outside of major townships (e.g. United, HWE). United are to be commended for the effort they are putting in to address this issue at their club.